


into my world

by toyang



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, Slice of Life, fluff?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-08 17:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17390294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toyang/pseuds/toyang
Summary: kyungsoo is an artist and meets the novelist baekhyun about commissioning his art. it's not uncommon to hear these clients to be a big fan of his work. baekhyun wants to be friends, get to know each other better. kyungsoo thinks baekhyun is charming enough to say yes.prompt #96 for the little prince fic fest





	into my world

**Author's Note:**

> i'd like to thank my friends who helped me through the plot, and for the mods for hosting this fic fest!

kyungsoo and ryeowook walk into the cafe and are greeted by the baristas from behind the counter, but wait to approach them until they find their company. they walk up the stairs to find more people sitting at tables and two men sitting across from empty chairs catch their eyes first. one of them dresses more professional with his dark suit and his hair slicked back, while the other, younger one takes on a more semi-casual approach with his suit jacket and denim jeans.  
  
"are you byun baekhyun-ssi?" kyungsoo's manager inquires as they walk up to them. the way that they stand up from their chairs is an answer in itself, but as the younger man turns brighter at the sight of kyungsoo tells him that these are the people they're looking for. byun baekhyun, whom kyungsoo knows as a writer. he has seen pictures of him online before when he received the offer, but he didn’t think that in person he would look… younger? he wants to blame his choice of clothes.

ryeowook is quick to start the introductions right after and tells kyungsoo to take a seat while he orders them their

drinks from the counter. it leaves baekhyun and his manager to engage in small talk with the artist, but kyungsoo has never been good with those in any setting.  
  
two pairs of eyes are on him, and he’s sitting with his hands on his lap. he’s looking off past them to get his mind off of thinking of what might be going through their minds. or are they waiting for kyungsoo to say something? "have you eaten yet, mr. do?"  
  
kyungsoo shakes his head. his hands feel jittery and his fingers curl against his legs. "no, not yet."

it’s like the manager can sense that kyungsoo is nervous, so he continues on. "you know, baekhyun-ssi has been a really big fan of yours for awhile." he nods over to the one sitting next to him. "he was _very_ adamant on requesting you on this project and coming here to see you."  
  
baekhyun sits up straighter with the mention of his name and nods slightly. the way that his eyes squint with the way that he's smiling reminds him of a happy puppy for some reason; more excited about this than he should be, in kyungsoo’s opinion. it’s kind of cute. "i'm really happy to meet you in person, do kyungsoo-ssi."  
  
"thank you," kyungsoo nods back. "unfortunately, i have not read any of your books before, but i am aware of how popular they are." his type of fantasy fiction doesn’t spark an interest in kyungsoo when he’s been more of a non-fiction or mystery reader, but from his friends, the willowy name ‘byun baekhyun’ has crossed his ears more than once. the name had usually been in relation with his stories but also for the author’s looks, as expected of his fans. “but i do have friends who have read them.”

his own research had turned up that baekhyun only published his breakthrough novel just two years ago. kyungsoo thinks that’s pretty impressive.  
  
his confession doesn’t seem to phase baekhyun much and he nods back at him understandingly. “that’s alright if you haven’t read them! you didn’t have to before coming here or anything, that’s not what this meeting is about.”

they don’t get down to business until ryeowook returns holding two mugs filled with their hot contents, placing one on the table in front of kyungsoo. he sits more comfortably in his seat now that he has something warm to hold.

baekhyun’s manager starts off with the proposition: baekhyun is in the middle of writing his new book, and he couldn’t think of any other person who could design the book cover aside from kyungsoo. kyungsoo would be getting royalties from every unit sold as well, and baekhyun sees that as a win-win decision on both their sides.  
  
"it _is_ an attractive offer,” ryeowook starts. one of his legs crosses in front of the other as his attention moves from the manager to baekhyun. “we have considered it, but we do have a question for author byun as well. we are aware that you have looked at some of artist do’s work and that he has been strongly recommended for this project. can you please explain why him particularly?"  
  
all eyes are on baekhyun at this point, but he doesn't shrink away from the attention. however, a more bashful smile crosses his face compared to the one he shared previously. "i think the direction that he takes in his art style will go well with the manuscript i've written. as i've also said previously, i am a fan of mr. do's work. the way he combines and blends colors together in his composition amazes me. actually, one of his pieces did inspire me to write one of my characters. the one about the sunset glow? the main character’s friend in my story has a little inspiration from that illustration.”  
  
kyungsoo knows which illustration he’s talking about, and he’s a bit surprised by it when it’s not one of his more known works. ‘sunset glow’ isn’t one of his more interesting pieces either, it having turned a little experimental from his usual style and had gotten mixed reviews because of it. it’s still something he keeps in his collection though, as a reminder of his own boundaries that he can push.  
  
"how do you do it?" baekhyun continues, leaning forward in his chair. the expression he has on his face is something kyungsoo can only describe as adoringly curious.

“do what?”

“be able to make up the illustrations that you do.”

“baekhyun.” his manager looks at him from the side, a silent plea not to embarrass himself in front of the client, but it's being purposefully ignored. "now’s not the time to get sidetracked."

baekhyun pouts back and leans more against his seat in defeat.

the meeting continues on, talking about the time frame on when the illustration would be due along with the price kyungsoo will offer for his services. baekhyun speaks about what he has envisioned for his story and what the cover might look like with bursts of colors here and there. kyungsoo tries to visualize this, but he doubts he sees it the way that baekhyun does. he still writes these notes baekhyun gives him, sketching out a few feelings he gets from the other’s words, as a clearer picture starts appearing in his thoughts. “but i trust your judgement,” baekhyun adds at the end of his description. “and if you do have any other questions about it, i would be happy to answer.”

“i think i have what i need for now,” kyungsoo muses. his notebook page is filled with messy handwriting and doodles. he’ll have to interpret them later.

“so, are we in an agreement then?”

“yes, once we have received the advance payment, artist do will start on his roughs for the book cover.”

“excellent! now then, let’s get to finalizing the deal with a contract. we will add the clauses that we have agreed upon in it and have it sent to you as soon as possible.”

they all stand up once the meeting is over, baekhyun having been the first one to leave when he has another meeting to attend to. he takes out one of his business cards to hand to kyungsoo personally as kyungsoo does the same. that excited smile baekhyun had upon the beginning of their meeting comes back full force.

“i’m very much looking forward to working with you, do kyungsoo-ssi.”

he nods back. “likewise.”  

the deal has been made, but kyungsoo squints to study the look on baekhyun’s face. he’s listening to their managers talk, but he’s restless in some way while constantly making glances towards him. there is no way kyungsoo couldn’t have caught that when his body language and his pursed lips are screaming to say something. he’s waiting for a moment to say it, and kyungsoo is curious on what it’s about.

the moment doesn’t come until their drinks are empty and baekhyun’s manager reminds baekhyun of his next schedule. kyungsoo and ryeowook stand up as well to get going.

“excuse me, artist do…” baekhyun interrupts with his voice taking on a more cautious approach. kyungsoo looks up to see the other standing next to him now as their managers busy themselves with cleaning up their table. being this close to him and facing each other again, kyungsoo is a little surprised that he’s almost at eye level with the writer. he has an engaging smile on his face, a subtle one that makes some of his teeth show. kyungsoo think it’s pretty attractive. “if you don’t mind me asking, do you think we can exchange phone numbers?”

ah, so that’s what he wanted. “sure, i see no harm in that.”

he brightens up considerably and quickly takes out his phone. kyungsoo tells baekhyun his number, and the other calls him so he could receive his. neither minseok or ryeowook say anything against the exchange, although he could swear that minseok has quite the amused smile from all of this.

“thank you, kyungsoo-ssi! i hope you have a good day.”

“you too baekhyun-ssi, have a good day.”

 

-🎨-

he doesn’t hear much from baekhyun after their meeting. the last message he received from him is the first one sent on kakaotalk.

    **byun baekhyun**  
     hey, kyungsoo-ssi! this is baekhyun again ^^  
     i hope you don’t mind adding you here too

    **do kyungsoo**  
     hello  
     no, i don’t mind

      **byun baekhyun**  
     okay, great!

and he receives a sticker of a happy character.

the long silence from then makes kyungsoo wonder why baekhyun wanted his number when he isn’t going to say much. he doesn’t know what to say either back to baekhyun, so he leaves their conversation left on read.

a few days later, he receives another message.

    **byun baekhyun**  
     okay this might sound random but  
     as two people who work in the creative arts  
     are you someone who listens to music while you work?

kyungsoo doesn’t text him back until later, however, when his hands are busy at the studio on his next piece. the answer is already written in his head when it’s so obvious around him; the splashes of light and shadow dancing across the canvas.

    **do kyungsoo**  
     yes, i do    
     a lot of the works i post on instagram is when i listen to one song

      **byun baekhyun**  
     oh, really?  
     i wondered how you get inspired on working on something that pretty  
     and i follow your ig too  
     your calligraphy is beautiful  
     and i like the way you use your watercolors  
     and your color choices too  
     you might not always see those colors together  
     but somehow you know how to make them work?  
     i don’t know, i’m just a fan. hehehe  
     i’m sorry if i’m talking too much TT

really, with as many messages that he sends at one time, kyungsoo is almost certain that he can rival that of his best friend’s. the sound goes off and so do the blinks of yellow. at this point, he should just leave his phone on silent to prevent his notifications from going off so much, but then he’d also miss those important ones from ryeowook. he _could_ just mute them, he guesses.  

    **do kyungsoo**  
     it’s okay. and thank you.

      **byun baekhyun**  
     okay  
     i’m glad ^^

kyungsoo starts getting an idea of when baekhyun starts sending his messages after that, usually when there was something he’s curious about him or when he’s taking a break from writing and bored. his manager wasn’t kidding when he said baekhyun was a big fan of his work. all of these questions and comments about his technique and aesthetics baekhyun shares with him lead to a confession that one of his characters in his current book is influenced by kyungsoo’s artistry.

he is flattered by this, not having been made into a character crossing his mind before. something about it enlightens him in a way, that he wonders what others down different creative paths think of what his work might mean.

the canvas that he’s working on now stares back at him blankly, the pencil marks etched throughout, but now he’s unsure of continuing this piece specifically. the rubber eraser leaves bits of itself in its wake as kyungsoo starts over, but instead of wiping those away, they are used to aid his next project.

the brush gets dipped into the water first before he dabs some of it into areas with eraser shavings. he chooses one of the pots to load his paintbrush with too, and lets it float and spread out in the clear waters to settle where it wants to. he studies the way the water and paint interact with the tiny bits of rubber, and whether or not the water will soak under where the bits lie. he finds out the results once he gives the paint its time to dry, and finally brushes off the loose items to see the final result. the technique gives his work a more scattered and speckled appearance than he’s used to. it’s not bad, but he tries with a new page to practice this again.

after he’s done with it, he uses his phone to take a close up shot of one of his favorite sections to upload onto instagram. no long caption for it, would rather use one choice word and leave it at that. it’s enough for himself to know that baekhyun loosely inspired it, wondered if he would have any comments for it once he’s seen it.

      **byun baekhyun**  
     know what those small white dots remind me of?  
     the universe  
     each one of them holding a galaxy that’s billions of km away

kyungsoo wouldn’t have thought of that himself, but as he stares at the picture again, he can see where baekhyun is getting at.

 

-🎨-

 

an artist’s life shouldn’t always lay stagnant. their pieces grow with them, show their development and adaptations of their likes and dislikes. kyungsoo values the opinions of his friends when they see what he’s working on, but oddly enough, since meeting baekhyun, takes his insight into account more. his practice pieces before working on commissions are used experimenting with different shapes and negative space.

he tries the same thing when he decides on hand lettering, starting from a different point than where he does usually. he sends a picture of this work to baekhyun specifically, made for him, although he leaves that part out when the picture sends.

baekhyun compliments it, as expected, and kyungsoo himself feels lighter and more motivated to work on his other projects set out for the day.

 

-🎨-

 

 **byun baekhyun  
**      i’m hungry  
     i haven’t had anything to eat yet TT

      **do kyungsoo**  
     can’t you order something?  
     or cook?

      **byun baekhyun**  
     i can’t cook  
     i can order something but…  
     i also don’t want to be by myself  
     my friends are all busy so i can’t ask them to come over

      **do kyungsoo**  
     that’s too bad.

kyungsoo doesn’t have an idea why all the consciousness in his head is telling him to respond with his own offer. chanyeol can’t come today either after he sent him a message to kyungsoo earlier about forgetting a date he had with his sister. he can’t blame him for prioritizing his family. maybe kyungsoo also wanted some company.

    **do kyungsoo**  
     my friend cancelled on meeting up with me today too  
     i was going to cook dinner for us. would you like to come over instead?

    **byun baekhyun**  
     really?  
     i’d be able to?

      **do kyungsoo**  
     i wouldn’t be offering it to you otherwise. you’re welcome over

the moment baekhyun accepts the invitation, kyungsoo is cursing at himself for offering again. he doesn’t even know baekhyun that well, and yet this is the person he directly asked. should he arrange his apartment? is there something baekhyun might be uncomfortable about when he arrives? he wouldn’t fucking know on this goddamn last minute decision.

 _get it together, kyungsoo._ judging his apartment isn’t the reason for him being here.

the distance baekhyun says he lives to kyungsoo’s apartment is far enough that he doesn’t have to drop down everything to get the food ready, thankfully. kyungsoo finishes up the work he had in his studio before making his way into the kitchen. with all the ingredients he has stored around, he decides to make tuna kimchi fried rice for the two of them. quick and easy. the longest he’d have to wait for is the rice to cook before using it. everything else can be prepared in between and fried together.

he’s used to working quickly and efficiently, so he watches the kimchi carefully until it becomes softer and more translucent in color. the condiments get thrown in to heat up, followed by the rice (that he wishes was a day old at this point but he can’t be picky), until everything is mixed together.

baekhyun rings the doorbell, so kyungsoo temporarily leaves his station to open it up for him.

“dim lighting and candles? i would almost mistake this dinner as a romantic date.” it’s the first thing the other notices when he arrives as he takes off his shoes at the entrance.

“i prefer to live in the dark. you can use those slippers, by the way. they’re for guests. or i guess for chanyeol since he’s the only one who comes over.” he shows him where he should leave his coat, and kyungsoo goes back into the kitchen to finish up the meal.

baekhyun is left following baekhyun into the kitchen and then wandering around in the living room. once his curiosity is sated, he returns back to lean against the counter to see what kyungsoo is doing. “it smells good in here.”

kyungsoo puts on the finishing touches of the dish and slides a fried egg over each of their plates along with some seaweed laver. “although it may not be romantic. i’m sorry if you expected that.”

“don’t worry about it! i was making a joke. i was surprised by how dim it is in here is all.”

the two dishes are taken to the table, along with two spoons, so they could sit at the table and start eating.

it’s quiet in the apartment aside from their utensils scraping against ceramic and the lip smacking coming from chewing. his attention is brought forth from the white noise due to baekhyun, and something about his eating habit makes his skin crawl. kyungsoo doesn’t know him enough to speak up and ask him to eat quietly, so he endures the sensation.

baekhyun is making that face again as if he has something to say as he brings another spoonful to his mouth; he can’t forget that look when it was directed at him during their first meeting so many times. the other looks away when kyungsoo passes a glance at him, but he isn’t subtle at all pretending that he wasn’t.

“is there something on your mind, baekhyun-ssi?”

“you can just call me ‘baekhyun.’ we’re about the same age anyway. that is, if it’s alright if i just call you ‘kyungsoo’?”

“oh? how old are you?”

“twenty nine this year! i’m in the year of the snake.”

“that’s funny because i am too. will be twenty-nine. next year, in january.”

a smile comes across baekhyun’s face. “i guess that means we can be friends, right?”

he’s not sure if he wants to use that word so lightly, but he still nods back to him. “i guess so.”

“i’m glad i’m able to talk to you more casually now than last time. meetings can be too stuffy for me.”

“i could tell.” he scoops up another spoonful of rice.

"everyone i work with are all older than me, even my brother acts like a second dad when he has seven years on me. i don't have that many who are around my age, and for my friends who are, all of their work shifts are different so i don't get to see my friends often. most of the time, i'm stuck in my study room trying to write the next chapters of my damn book before the deadline."  
  
"why can't you finish those chapters on your own time?"  
  
"i have a contract with them, so i have dates on when certain chapters should be sent in for the editors to look at. much like how it is to you when you accept commissions, i’m guessing. i need to publish at least two books with them within a certain time frame. not always the most ideal situations, but it's a way to get by."  
  
“sounds stressful, but you wouldn’t pick it up if you didn’t think you could do it. if a client of mine requests for a piece and sets a ridiculously close deadline, i would refuse them if they didn’t pay more for expediting.”

“it’s not that bad. and i’ve gotten used to it. honestly, i do have more free time than i make it out to be. i just procrastinate.” baekhyun smiles back with what kyungsoo would only describe as cheeky. he points down to kyungsoo’s hand on his knee eventually. the heel of his palm feels warm from the constant friction of rubbing it against his thigh. “is that because you’re nervous, or is that just a habit you have?”

he hadn’t even put attention to what his other hand was doing until it was pointed out. his fingers curl onto his thigh to stop himself. “it’s both.”

“i’m sorry if i’m making you nervous. that’s the last thing i’d want to happen.”

he shakes his head. “it’s okay. i’m not used to having new people over.”

“just chanyeol, right?”

“sometimes ryeowook hyung too, if there’s something important that we need to discuss.”

“i see.”

the conversation ends there, and the silence in between is suffocating. “can you tell me more about the story you’re working on? it might help me narrow down which thumbnail to go with. for your book cover.”

baekhyun doesn’t know where to start now that the floodgates have opened up about his novel. he speaks about the world it takes place in and the people he made up for it; the main character’s best traits and flaws to make them more human. “i had a friend who did that, so it kind of inspired me to have it done to my main character too.” he explains the plot and the main character’s journey, the obstacles he’ll face, and climax that reaches a self-reflection.

kyungsoo listens to this with the imagery in his head, the open sceneries and what his characters might look like. the story is one thing, but listening to it makes him curious if his writing lives up to the expectation. “i think i’m getting an idea now.”

he see him nod back satisfied. "you know, i’m doing all this novel writing right now, but i really want to try writing for manhwa one day. i can’t draw, but i enjoy reading the dialogue and getting the visuals that go with it. like instead of describing how a person looks like with words? it’s right there in front of us in the panel."

“that’s ambitious of you. maybe in the future you can dabble with webtoons.”

“that’s what i’m hoping. my best friend jongdae and i were talking about what it would be like to publish a webtoon one day. it’s really popular for webtoons to be adapted into movies or dramas, you know? and jongdae, he’s a musical actor but also a singer-songwriter, we joked around saying i’d only accept it being adapted if he could sing an ost for it.”

“do you think the producers would actually let you do that?”

“don’t know. i’m sure with the right amount of money, we could make it happen, but i’d want to make that as a last resort or something.”

they go off into different tangents while they’re eating. baekhyun reveals that he loves to read the sports genre but also the graphic novels game developers would release about the universe they created. he has these short bursts of repeating a character’s words and actions as he continues his descriptions, but kyungsoo has no idea where these references come from.

kyungsoo also reveals that when he was in high school, he had considered the career path down drawing for manhwa since “everything is so much easier in black and white.” baekhyun had brought up kyungsoo’s recent instagram posts to say he was glad he didn’t.

the rest of the evening turns out more pleasant than kyungsoo originally expected. their now empty plates stay on the table as they continue talking and lose track of time. baekhyun makes the decision to go once he sees what time it is and doesn’t want to overstay his welcome.

“thanks for inviting me over, kyungsoo. i enjoyed the food.” baekhyun says, right when he’s about to leave.

“you’re welcome. if it ever happens again when you feel hungry and want company, we can do this again.”

“i’d like that.”

-🎨-

 

dinners with baekhyun become a more frequent occurrence now that the first one happened. sending messages to baekhyun happens more frequently now that he feels more comfortable with him.

kyungsoo has never received this many personal messages in a day before, a record just set by baekhyun and chanyeol alone with their constant talk. ‘hey, have you heard of this movie? it’s interesting!’ to links towards fan theories on what might happen in the next avengers movie. granted, most of the movie talk comes from chanyeol; the guy who has known kyungsoo for longer that kyungsoo tolerates whatever bullshit chanyeol gets up to.

      **park chanyeol**  
     kang jihyun is so hot i wish she could just step on me  
     she just shared some shots from her recent photoshoot  
     workout photos!!!  
     [img sent]  
     [img sent]  
     i’m dying  
     but i’d also tap that

    **do kyungsoo**  
     chanyeol, that’s your girlfriend

  **park chanyeol**  
     she is, isn’t she? 😍

    **do kyungsoo**  
     go ask her to do it instead of telling me for fucks sake

baekhyun on the other hand is more ‘controlled’ in comparison, though he learns more about the other’s hobbies the more he speaks. streaming games of whatever the hell ‘pubg’ is, receiving pictures of beautiful landscape around the world when he uses it for his book research, and ultimately random trivia he finds along the way of said research.

    **byun baekhyun**  
     have you ever thought of the fact that  
     a lot of species in the animal kingdom have dominant females?  
     praying mantis, hyenas, lions, how an ant colony is majority female  
     the big angler fish is a female  
     and the male is reduced to a skin tag when they mate  
     males get eaten by females a lot after mating too

      **do kyungsoo**  
     i have not

  **byun baekhyun**  
     well now you know ^^

    **do kyungsoo**  
     thank you

reading these as his break in between all the artwork he must work on, it’s kind of… nice to have.

 

-🎨-

 

having chanyeol over for dinner and hang out is definitely better than having him blowing up his phone. he’s not as annoying in person than he is through texts, and kyungsoo even finds solace in chanyeol’s music whenever he decides to bring his guitar.

fate has it that one day baekhyun asks if he might be able to come over too to meet him. “you talk about him so much i feel like he’s my friend at this point too.” is the text he receives from him. ever the people person, chanyeol doesn’t mind more company as long as kyungsoo is okay with it. that’s how they find their night sitting on kyungsoo’s floor with bottles of beer and soju scattered around them.

“that’s how i got this scar on my arm! it goes to show you that you can never be too careful when you’re around guitar strings.”

“sounds like a common hazard,” baekhyun agrees with a confident nod. “when i was working in retail, one of my coworkers would make unusual stuff with all our defective products. he was an engineer, and he somehow was able to make a saw with a massager and a business card. it was able to cut through cardboard too for a little bit! before the card broke into pieces.”

“damn, that sounds kinda cool. if you remember, you’ll have to show me how he did it.”

“it’s the rotating part in the massager! that’s the part that spins really fast. just stick the card right in the middle of it and watch it spin around.”

“no. down, chanyeol,” kyungsoo commands, staring back at him with a glare. “you shouldn’t tell him because his dumbass would actually go out and try it himself. no.”

chanyeol pouts back at the other with slouching shoulders. “it still sounds pretty cool…”

kyungsoo finds out quickly enough that chanyeol and baekhyun are very similar to each other with the way they hit it off so well. chanyeol’s voice raises decibels higher than what it would be if it were just him and kyungsoo. the baekhyun he always sees that wants to come out finally does, and kyungsoo in his lifetime would have never been prepared for it. it probably helped that they had a lot of alcohol to drink for it, although he does hope that with the way baekhyun moves around that all of his furniture stays in once piece by the end of the night.

“wow, i’ve never seen sunglasses with lenses this red before.” they turn towards the other standing near the kitchen with those sunglasses in his hand. he folds out the legs of the glasses to take a better look through the lens. “damn, it’s like pitch black in here. you have a nice set of sunglasses. no offense but i thought you might have went with black when everything else in here is monochrome.”

chanyeol gives kyungsoo an inquisitive look, a silent question between the two of them. before baekhyun can see, kyungsoo shakes his head back at his friend as an answer.

“kyungsoo does like everything uniformed. he’s just organized as hell and always has been. even his underwear drawer is neatly folded and put in order from darkest to lightest--ah ahh!!.”

 _okay, too far_ the grip to chanyeol’s ear signals. as if that wasn’t big enough of a sign, the cold stare at him should do the trick. he could hear baekhyun laughing in the background, although he’s not sure what for.

“i’m sorry. i’m sorry!” he rubs his hands together in front of him pleading for forgiveness, and kyungsoo takes mercy by letting go of his ear.

the night goes on, but the drinking stops when chanyeol and baekhyun both need to drive home later. that still leaves plenty of time to talk to each other, and chanyeol taking out his nintendo switch so they could all have a turn at playing mario kart. for when they can’t drive drunk on the streets, they could do it in video games.

baekhyun is clingy, latches himself behind kyungsoo as he watches kyungsoo and chanyeol race against each other. kyungsoo doesn’t seem to mind it at all, and in fact leans against him when they start settling down some more.

chanyeol makes the decision to sleep over when it gets too late. he’s done it multiple times before that kyungsoo doesn’t even bat an eyelash when he does. kyungsoo gives him a spare blanket as he lays down on the sofa and spreads it out nicely for him to cover him down to his toes.

“i like baekhyun. you should keep him around more often.”

it’s a comment chanyeol makes with his eyes closed as sleep starts pulling him under. kyungsoo waits to retreat to his bedroom to collect the empty bottles and bring down to recycling when morning comes, quietly, not wanting the clinking glass to cause a ruckus.

it’s too quiet now; the animated movements and sparks of their laughter die back down into the dark depths of silence. kyungsoo misses the happy noise.

“i want to,” he says more to himself than to his friend. he’s afraid to glance back to see if he’s heard it.

 

-🎨-

 

it doesn’t take kyungsoo long after that to realize baekhyun has wormed his way into every aspect of his life. his infectious laugh, the annoying lip smacking whenever he chews his food. baekhyun is over enough that he uses the same cup whenever he’s over, too.

the way kyungsoo has fond memories of baekhyun whenever he comes over, dancing drunkenly with the wall while chanyeol films the spectacle on his phone. the time it’s being filmed makes kyungsoo question life and the people who inhabit it, but the memory from watching the video again has him laughing in amusement and crying at himself for laughing at it at the same time.

these traces of baekhyun are all around him, and yet he still wants to hear him around.

 

-🎨-

 

“oh my god, i’m sorry!” baekhyun looks at kyungsoo with concern, staying close to him and inspecting his face.

“it’s fine. it’s a common mistake.” his eyes feel like they’re burning out of their retinas, hands are still over his eyes even after a long moment. baekhyun starts to get even more concerned. despite what happened, kyungsoo’s voice is still calm. “just don’t turn on those lights again, please.”

“sure… are you sure you’re okay? do you need to see a doctor?”

“it’s fine. nothing i haven’t dealt with before.” he sighs, rubs a little at his eyes before blinking back his vision. “i have a… condition. i’m extremely sensitive to light, so having that one on will irritate my eyes.”

“i’m sorry, i didn’t know.”

“i didn’t tell you until now. it’s not your fault.”

“you know, that actually makes a lot of sense now.” baekhyun is almost afraid to move around and turn on another light switch, so he waits for kyungsoo to do it. “but wait, what about those other times when we were outside? weren’t you sensitive then too?”

“i have special contact lenses that help filter a lot of that light out for me. i don’t wear them when i’m at home.” his vision is back to normal now, thankfully, and he goes back to cooking. thank god he didn’t have any capsicum in his hand lest he really wanted to burn his eyes.

“how long have you had this condition?”

“ever since i was a kid.” he pauses longer, hesitant to continue on with his thoughts. he’s not sure how much baekhyun really wanted to know why he hardly ever wanted to go out, why he would prefer to stay indoors in his dark apartment. but, he also trusted baekhyun, figured that it was the right time to tell him one of his secrets. “i was told that my photophobia comes as a result from… it’s from achromatopsia.”

“what’s that?”

“it’s the fancy medical term that means i can only see things in black, white, or grey.” he turns towards baekhyun to look at him directly, studying his reaction. “i’m colorblind, baekhyun. not that red-green one that dogs have or whatever. i can’t see color at all.”

“so…how you couldn’t see the mold on the bread and how you picked up my jacket instead of yours even when they’re different colors?” he gets a nod back. “i also haven’t thought about this before, but is that the reason why all the furniture in your apartment is grey aside from your studio? and that you almost always wear dark colors?”

kyungsoo shouldn’t be surprised about this, not when baekhyun is a writer. all his details about his book are probably stored safely somewhere. it’s only natural that he might pick up on stuff like that around him too. he doesn’t think he can hide it from him any longer. “yes, that’s the reason why for everything. the red glasses that you saw a while back, that’s also to help with achromatopsia.”

his eyes show a realization, and kyungsoo shows a relief.

“so wait… all of your paintings? all the color that you use for them?”

“chosen because of their shades rather than their color. the paintings are coming from my feelings anyway. i don’t need color for that.”

“oh my god…” he sounds shocked beyond belief, like his world has been turned upside down. baekhyun for once is at a loss for words. “here i was talking about your color choices when i first met you and you couldn’t even distinguish them.”

“baekhyun, you don’t have to be so dramatic about it. i’m not dying. my eyes are just different from yours.”

“i just thought… well you know. i know you as an artist who makes beautiful colorful artwork, but now i’m finding out that you can’t even see the colors that you’re using. it’s definitely going to surprise me.” baekhyun stays close though, albeit quiet, but also ruminating as kyungsoo continues to chop the food. “it’s… amazing to think about, you know? how you don’t let that stop you.”

“people haven’t told me otherwise, so i’m not going to stop anytime soon either.”

“i’m glad to hear that. and i’m glad that you’ve told me. thank you for telling me.”

 _thank you for letting me share_ he wants to say. maybe even _thank you for not thinking differently of me._ “when i was younger, it really made it difficult for me to do anything. they didn’t have contact lenses for us yet, so i had the red glasses during school. my classmates would tease me for it since they were so different. during my military service, i was stuck with a desk job because of my light sensitivity. it was a hard life.”

“i wouldn’t have even thought of that… it does sound very difficult. i’m sorry that you had to go through that.” baekhyun reaches out and rests a comforting hand against kyungsoo’s shoulder.

kyungsoo smiles back at him warmly. “thank you, but it’s fine now. the hard part’s all over and i can worry about keeping a roof over my head.”

“the most important part,” baekhyun’s smile mellows down. “almost as important as food. will you be done with it soon, by the way? i’m hungry.”

“be patient, unless you want to make your own stir fry.” kyungsoo hears a chuckle, like a soft pastel, and hides his smile.

“yes, sir.”

 

-🎨-

 

      **byun baekhyun**  
     what kind of things do you normally like to do outside of your house?

      **do kyungsoo**  
     it’s usually for work meetings. i don’t go outside very often.  
     occasionally to new art exhibitions too

    **byun baekhyun**  
     what about for friends?

      **do kyungsoo**  
if they’ve invited me to an event, then yes

      **byun baekhyun**  
     what if i asked you to come with me to an event?

    **do kyungsoo**  
     which one?

    **byun baekhyun**  
     a performance that’s in production currently  
     gwanghwamun love song  
     i have free tickets to it because jongdae’s in it  
     would you like to go with me?

 

-🎨-

 

jongdae has a very pleasant voice, so clear and powerful. it’s full of soft notes and high notes, something that makes him want to close his eyes and take in all of his sounds. there’s anything but darkness when he does, feeling the string of melodies transitioning from one soft note to the next.

everyone in the musical has an amazing voice that kyungsoo can appreciate, but jongdae’s sounds the most interesting and distinct in his eyes. he’s starting to take a liking to musicals now, actually, when he finally realized how dynamic and appropriately lighted for him to watch. he’ll have to thank baekhyun again later.

after the musical is done, baekhyun and kyungsoo get access backstage to meet jongdae and the other actors of the show. kyungsoo isn’t sure why baekhyun insists on holding his hand as they navigate their way through the hallways to get to the dressing room, but he does look back at him once in awhile asking him if his eyes are okay.

“kyungsoo, this is jongdae, the friend that i told you about.”

the stage lighting doesn’t do him much justice compared to seeing him in person like this. jongdae’s jawline looks sharp enough like it could cut diamonds, and the corners of his lips curl up like that of a kitten’s when he siles. “kim jongdae,” he introduces himself once more with a bow. “it’s nice to finally meet you, kyungsoo. i’ve heard a lot about you from baekhyun.”

“nice to meet you too. your voice is beautiful, by the way.” there is no wait in between conversations when he blurts that out, smiling back at the other for the music he just experienced. it’s just about enough to inspire kyungsoo to paint a picture of it, but none of his equipment sits in front of him right now. “i enjoyed it a lot.”

“thank you for your kind words. i feel honored.” kyungsoo thinks jongdae has a nice smile as well, as he looks so heartfelt from the compliment. his attitude towards baekhyun takes another turn, something more casual and close as he hits his friend’s arm lightly. “wow baekhyun, your boyfriend has good taste in music. he’s a keeper..”

baekhyun sputters from the realization of what jongdae just announced. kyungsoo merely laughs softly from the reaction as jongdae laughs loudly too. “i’m not… we’re not…!”

“my mistake.” jongdae clears his throat. however, the way he ended his words tells him that this isn’t going to be the end of this teasing. “kyungsoo, you’re coming with us to get a few drinks later, right? let me buy you a round. it’s the least i can do with a new friend.” he would have almost missed that wink from jongdae if he looked away.

the dimly lit bar is on the more sophisticated side in terms of their design, comparable to those that kyungsoo would see in the movies. utter shock ran across his company’s face when he came to the confession that he’s only ever been to a bar once before in his twenty-seven year lifespan, so he stares at the cocktail menu not knowing shit about the difference between whiskey and rum, gin and brandy. how the hell is he supposed to narrow it down to just one? he settles on an old fashioned, as per the bartender’s request, and nurses the drink in his hands when he’s back at the bar table.

“are artists usually this cute?” jongdae says, leaning closer to him to study his features. “baekhyun tells me that you don’t really work anywhere else aside from your studio, but that’s kind of a shame. your looks are really something, if i’m being quite honest. killer enough to be on the cover of magazines. if anyone ever offers to write an article about you.” he suddenly sees jongdae leaning even closer to him, inspecting his face, and the proximity makes kyungsoo a little uncomfortable. he almost wants baekhyun to save him. “i really like your cute lips, and your face shape says boyish but mature at the same time. i look at you and i just want to pinch your cheeks.”

kyungsoo doesn’t know what to say back to that other than “thank you.”

he sits back properly in his seat, which kyungsoo is grateful for, but he’s caught off guard again with the singer’s forward nature. “are you currently seeing anyone?”

“not currently, no.”

“are you interested?”

“hey hey hey…” an arm comes in between jongdae and kyungsoo so baekhyun can insert himself in between. “let’s stop you right there. you don’t have to answer that.”

there’s a grateful smile towards baekhyun from the interjection, mouthing a thank you up at him from being saved.

“what a cockblock,” jongdae teases, and quickly gets pulled into baekhyun’s arms for a chokehold. their drinks literally get thrown on the table so they wouldn’t drop them as jongdae laughs and struggles to get himself of baekhyun’s grip.

“can’t you just keep your dick in your pants for one night, friend?” he loosens his grip eventually when they start grabbing the bartenders’ attention. sure, roughhousing was normal for them, but the workers at the bar didn’t know that.”

they do get talking and sharing stories about each other. baekhyun and jongdae know each other back from their university years, and kyungsoo gets to hear a lot about that. if kyungsoo already thought baekhyun’s voice and actions can’t be controlled now, he’d hate to imagine how he was like when he was younger. jongdae turns out to be a loyal friend from all of their stories, and it reminds him of his own stories with chanyeol and how much he’s been a help to kyungsoo.

and while not as forward as before, he still notices the way jongdae smiles at him and compliments him.

“jongdae is very… friendly.” he brings up once they’re in baekhyun’s car. the roads are practically empty at this time of night, but baekhyun still abides by the laws as he takes kyungsoo home.

“i should have prepared you for that, sorry.”

“that’s fine. but by the way…” his eyes notice how baekhyun only has one hand on the steering wheel. the other one rests one rests on his lap. his fingers tap against his own idly. “you don’t have to worry about jongdae trying to steal me away, baekhyun. you didn’t have to try so hard to stop him.”

“what do you mean?”

“he’s not the one i want to kiss.” he looks at the other with intent and in hopes that the other would get the message, but that might be hard to do when the look it’s directed to should be focusing on the road. thankfully, they’re at kyungsoo’s parking now that he can get baekhyun’s full attention.

baekhyun stays quiet when kyungsoo motions to speak again, and they both unbuckle their seatbelts so he could turn and face the other. “what i mean is… i like you. i think i have for a while.” his fingers reach out to take a hold of baekhyun’s hands and baekhyun lets him. he looks into baekhyun’s eyes as his thumb gently brushes over his knuckles. “although it was cute of you getting all jealous about it.”

there’s a blooming smile that’s beautiful like no other, and it also makes kyungsoo smile back at baekhyun. “when you said jongdae’s not the one you want to kiss…?”

his answer comes forward leaning over the console to pull baekhyun closer and kissing him right on the lips, and kyungsoo smiles against baekhyun’s when he feels him kissing back. it’s nice and slow, testing the waters of whether or not they really wanted this. kyungsoo does, kyungsoo has been. it feels good kissing baekhyun and kyungsoo doesn’t want it to stop. baekhyun hand cups kyungsoo’s cheek and kyungsoo can taste the vanilla chapstick baekhyun applied just earlier. he wants to taste all of him..

the smiles on their faces when they catch their breath say it all what they thought about it. they sit in silence facing each other, their hands still holding onto each other as baekhyun’s thumb strokes kyungsoo’s cheek.

“okay, that’s what i thought.” baekhyun says with a wider smile. kyungsoo laughs back and gives him another quick peck.

 

-🎨-

 

    **kim jongdae**  
     hey kyungsoo! it’s jongdae, baek’s friend 👋  
     about the other night, i apologize for all that flirting  
     unless you enjoyed it 😉  
     but really i did that bc i knew baek liked you  
     he gets a little jealous so i thought it’d be fun to mess around with him  
     and it worked, right? 👍👍  
     congrats to you guys 🥂🎉

      **do kyungsoo**  
     thank you ^^

“i’m going to murder him.” his tone sounds calm but threatening over kyungsoo’s shoulder. kyungsoo laughs back, and reaches over to pat his boyfriend’s hand soothingly. then he reaches for his face, hitting his cheek hard enough to hear the slap against his skin for being ridiculous.

      **kim jongdae**  
     i swear i’m a nice guy! 🙏💦  
     the next time we hang out, i’ll be good ^^

      **do kyungsoo**  
     you are a liar and you know it

    **kim jongdae**  
     baek i know that’s you

 

-🎨-

 

“you’re loading up too much water on your brush. do you see the way that the water is gathering right at the bristles? that’s going to create a big drop on your paper unless that’s the desired look you’re going for.”

there’s a worried look directly pointed at baekhyun’s canvas as the paintbrush hovers over another clean spot. he’s hesitant to continue on as he heeds kyungsoo’s words. the paintbrush lowers away from the canvas as the frown on baekhyun’s face becomes more prominent. “see, this is why you’re the artist. you’re able to make it look like the way you want it.”

“but i wasn’t _born_ with the talent. i had to practice and make mistakes like anyone else before i got good at it.” with another one of his paintbrushes, kyungsoo reaches over to wet the bristles before dipping it into one of the darker shades. he holds it up in front of them to show baekhyun a brush damp enough that it wouldn’t drip down the moment it makes contact with the paper. “much like how you didn’t _just_ start writing with your first published book.”

his boyfriend studies the brush before he takes it into his own hands. “what are you talking about? i’m a pure born natural at writing! i blink and the pages just write themselves that’s how amazing i am at it.”

the deadpanned look at the one sitting in the stool should be enough of an answer from kyungsoo of the matter. “yeah, and you shit ten-thousand won bills, too.”

“why do you think i as a new novelist has so much money?”

that’s an image that he would rather not bring up in his head, and he hopes that the disgusted look on his face is enough for baekhyun to pick up on. “anyway. you were the one who bought this dumb set and now you want me to show you how you use it.” the topic is brought back to the topic of hand. kyungsoo shows him how important pen pressure is when wanting to make tapered strokes. “this is how you can work with watercolor. you can also go with a paintbrush that’s drier and you’ll see more defined strokes on the paper and make it more textured.”

baekhyun tries and tries again until kyungsoo can see the slouch in the writer’s shoulders. he never had that long of an attention span, although he is amazed by how much baekhyun concentrates on practicing his brush strokes.

“we can leave it here for now, wait for the canvas to dry and then we can paint on top of it.”

“sounds like a good idea. and i’m starting to get hungry too.” baekhyun doesn’t even wait to put his paintbrush down to stretch his arms above him. kyungsoo has to lean away from him and he gently pushes baekhyun’s wrist the other way to avoid getting painted on. “should we order takeout?”

“i can take a look around your kitchen to see if i can make something.”

“i don’t really have much in my kitchen though…” he mused, standing up from his seat and finally placing the paintbrush down. his hands don’t stay free for long when he immediately intertwines their fingers together and kisses the back of kyungsoo’s hand. “although i do have to say, i do like to see you cooking. it might be easier to have someone else make the food this time.”

kyungsoo doesn’t let go of baekhyun’s hand, although other is occupied with scrolling through his phone to find a place to eat from. “takeout it is then.”

“and maybe while we wait for the food, we can sit on the couch, watch tv, and make out a little.”

the nuzzling baekhyun leans in for gets interrupted with kyungsoo’s phone hand coming up and blocking the way. he playfully pushes baekhyun’s face away with a teasing smile. “you’re insatiable.”

(they do kiss on the sofa later after they’ve ordered their food. neither have denied to want it, after all.)

 

-🎨-

    **do kyungsoo**  
     i just sent the final draft of the cover to your manager.  
     my end of the bargain is done.

kyungsoo feels… to say the least, ecstatic now that load is off of his chest. he smiles to himself, stretches his arms above his hands and rests back against his bed. there’s nothing better than getting more than one of his commissions out of the way in a single day.

the strain he feels on his wrist signals that he should take a break from doing any more today. he looks over to his clock on his bedside table. it’s only 7pm. working from early in the morning really messed with his perception of time; he thought it was a lot later.

kyungsoo hears the ping of his notifications going off, so he picks up his phone again to read them. the previews show they’re coming from baekhyun, most likely replying to his latest message.

    **byun baekhyun**  
     awesome!  
     i’m still stuck on writing these next few chapters  
     don’t know how long it’s going to take TT

      **do kyungsoo**  
     if only there was something that would get you to finish faster~

suddenly, an idea hits him that’s so clever that he’s smiling to himself. kyungsoo’s feeling pretty playful.

    **do kyungsoo**  
     how about this  
     you finish your chapters tonight  
     and i suck your dick as a reward

      **byun baekhyun**  
     …  
     are you serious?

      **do kyungsoo**  
     when have i ever lied to you?

    **byun baekhyun**  
     i…  
     it’s just so sudden i didn’t think i’d ever hear that come from you  
     well, read in this case  
     but you really mean it?

kyungsoo doesn’t have a clue how much he would be enjoying this when he started. this is turning out to be one of his favorite past times, riling up baekhyun through the phone. who thought sexting could be this fun?

in his burst of confidence and moment of vanity, he opens the app and switches the screen to the front camera. he takes several close up pictures of his lips, some slightly parted, some with his tongue poking out and wetting them. there is only so much that he could think of that might be seen as sexy just by looking at his lips. hell, maybe he could try asking jongin on what he might try out, but he’s probably busy forgetting that chargers exist.

when he previews the shots he took, he realizes that he’s kind of shit at taking his own selfies. none of them have very good composition or show off the feeling he wants from them. should he just send him a normal one with closed lips? no, that would be too fucking boring even for his standards, so he tries again.

he makes use of his free hand to appear in the picture hoping that it would help him, as he fills up more of his camera roll with pictures of his lips. it dawns upon him the twenty minutes that passed since trying to take a good one that his last messages from baekhyun update to how much of a tease he is for leaving him hanging after saying the things he did.

fear not, baekhyun, for kyungsoo choosing two satisfactory pictures to send him this time. one is a closeup of the classic lip-biting pose, a few of his teeth poking out and tugging at his bottom one gently. the other one he decides to send to him is a picture of his thumb swiping against his bottom lip.

    **do kyungsoo**  
     [img sent]  
     [img sent]

      **byun baekhyun**  
     fuck

just that alone makes kyungsoo smile smugly. jongin would be proud.

 **byun baekhyun**  
     how the hell am i supposed to get work done when you send me THAT?  
     now i can’t stop thinking about your lips  
     they’re so pretty…

 **do kyungsoo**  
     they’re waiting for you ^^  
     come get them after you’re done with your work  

 

 

 

the plan backfires on him as well when he can’t wait to have his boyfriend over. kyungsoo does pride himself for his self control, but his fantasies do sometimes get the better of him. he distracts himself before baekhyun’s arrival, watching speed painting videos involved in mixed media or catching up with one of his series on netflix. his moment of vanity might also have suggested him to try taking nude photos of himself to send to baekhyun, but he refuses to walk down that path.

the doorbell rings and kyungsoo lets baekhyun in. his nerves start flaring the moment he lays eyes on him. he looks like he just rolled out of bed, arriving at kyungsoo’s house wearing dark joggers and a hoodie. locks of his hair stand up as if he just ran his fingers through his head, but baekhyun looks at kyungsoo and he swears he could see some of that lust in his eyes. kyungsoo swears that he must really like baekhyun a lot if he thinks the mess in front of him couldn’t be sexier.

baekhyun slips out of his shoes in record time, approaching kyungsoo, and wrapping his arms around his waist to tug him closer. kyungsoo does the same holding him loosely around his broad shoulders. they share a short welcoming kiss, a second and a third.  “i have never… _ever_ written so many words so quickly in my entire life. _ever_.”

kyungsoo’s laugh is big and bright. baekhyun can’t help but to nip softly at those heart-shaped lips. “so it worked, huh?”

“you don’t know the half of it. how can you do this to me, do kyungsoo?” kyungsoo likes the way his name rolls off of baekhyun’s tongue, how the sound shoots a soft flash behind his irises. baekhyun gently rests his forehead against kyungsoo’s, not breaking his eye contact as he feels slender fingers sliding close to the back of his neck. “how is it that i can’t get enough of you?” the touches to his neck doesn’t make him shiver nearly as much as his boyfriend’s lower, breathy voice.

kyungsoo tilts his head to press his lips against baekhyun’s, and a satisfied sigh leaves the other’s mouth as he kisses back. it’s deeper, more passionate and closer to the lingering desire that they were holding back until now. baekhyun’s needy grip in kyungsoo’s hair tightens for a moment until kyungsoo lets out a moan. he presses himself closer enough to baekhyun for him to lean back against the wall. baekhyun’s leg falls in between kyungsoo’s as he slightly brushes up against the front of his pants.  

baekhyun pulls back looking quite elated, although it is shortly followed by a chuckle. “i know i came over because you said you would go down on me, but i kept thinking that i’d want to make you feel good too.” baekhyun presses another, more gentle kiss, against kyungsoo’s lips this time, as his fingers play with the small hairs at the nape of his neck. “if you’d let me.”

“of course.” kyungsoo doesn’t want to leave baekhyun’s warmth, but there are far more comfortable places to be at in kyungsoo’s apartment than his entryway. he steps away from baekhyun, letting his hands slide down his arms until he can hold the other’s hand, as he leads him into his bedroom.

kyungsoo does fulfill on his promise for baekhyun despite their earlier talk. “we’re young,” kyungsoo reasons while he shifts lower on the bed. “we have stamina.” that at least gets baekhyun to laugh and at least relax just for a little while.

kyungsoo learns that he likes the way baekhyun’s mouth parts and eyes fall closed even when he tries not to look away. he also finds it cute how one side of his lips raise higher than the other when he gets closer to coming. but nothing is as beautiful as hearing baekhyun’s strained moans when his body spasms upon his release.

 

-🎨-

 

“you know, when i first met you, i didn’t think you liked me very much when you kept giving me this glare. but now i know it’s because you have bad eyes.”

“i think you’re over exaggerating because i was wearing my contact lenses then. i didn’t have to squint so much in the light.”

“i’m sure i wasn’t able to see your pretty doe eyes as much then. i was the one staring at you so i would know.”

“baekhyun,” he states, staring at him unamused. “i’m not visually blind. just colorblind.” his eyes do strain more if he’s in brighter areas, but he’s sure baekhyun knows this already. he just wishes his boyfriend would stop trying to ‘test’ him.

“are you really?” he reaches over for kyungsoo’s glasses and attempts to remove them. kyungsoo is quick to grab at baekhyun’s wrist before he can pull them completely off.

“punk.” he’s unafraid to pinch baekhyun’s side right where he knows he’s sensitive and baekhyun immediately jumps away from him with an unattractive yelp.

it doesn’t distract him for long, joining kyungsoo at the table again and resting his head on his propped arm facing him. “you know, i’ve been thinking about this for a while: how can you name colors when you can’t, you know, actually see them?”

“it’s mostly from memory. i know generally what shades the colors are since we learned them when we were young.”

“do you feel like you’re missing out on color? i can’t imagine what it would be like to have a world that’s only in black and white.”

“well i’m living it,” kyungsoo blatantly answers. “i can’t miss something if i’ve never had it before. i never knew what it was like to see the ‘green’ grass or the ‘blue’ sky. i only know my world, the one that’s full of shapes and light. i like what i have. i only wish i could go out and enjoy the sun more, but it burns my eyes. not in winter though. fuck snow. it’s too white.”

“but that’s what your special sunglasses are for, aren’t they?”

there’s a nod. “the filter is not enough to block that much light when everything is covered in snow. it’s a hard life living with achromatopsia. i can’t enjoy every outdoor activity, so i prefer the ones i can do at home.”

something else creeps up in his conscious, another unsureness right at the tip of his tongue. it’s not that he can’t share it with baekhyun, kyungsoo just wonders if he’s able to articulate it. “there was something else i was keeping from you, about my vision. my eyes see different shades of grey, but my mind can see color? i don’t know if that makes sense to you.”

“people always say they associate a color to a different feeling. these ‘colors’ i see in my head give me different feelings too, so i just label these colors based on them. people say yellow is an optimistic color, i don’t know what yellow looks like exactly, but when someone says ‘yellow,’ if i _hear_ the word, that’s what i assume the color looks like. ‘rainbow’ is a word that associates all the colors, but when i hear the word, it feels bumpy.”

it’s hard for him to describe the sensation, he thinks. he gets _feelings_ of what these colors might be, of what they might look like as they dance around each other.

“do you see colors when you hear names then?”

“yes, if it’s spoken, then i see something for it. for my name, kyungsoo, i see faint dashes running horizontally. i don’t know if they have a color. they’re just bright.”

that sparks interest in baekhyun in a question kyungsoo knows is coming. of course he’d be curious. “so what do you see when you hear ‘baekhyun’?”

the sensation comes and goes, but it makes an impression long enough for kyungsoo to remember. this isn’t the first time he’s heard baekhyun’s name, and definitely won’t be the last. “it’s… a light color. maybe what people say is green? shiny like satin, but swirls around like a fluid. it’s very free.”

“that does sound like a pretty color.”

there’s a pregnant pause as kyungsoo gets a grip to squeeze his own fist. his nerves are flaring up again when the words he wants to say are first in his head. “it’s a fitting color for the pretty person who has the name.” after saying it, he can definitely feel the heat creeping up his neck and to his face. flirting will never be a thing he’ll get used to and he wants to keep it that way.

it’s worth it, seeing the smile on baekhyun’s face. kyungsoo feels a arm wrap around him and a nuzzle against his hair. it makes his heart terribly full. “i’m glad you think so.”

 

-🎨-

  
**epilogue**

“cheers, for a wonderful life ahead of us with our new drama offer,” they yell joyfully as they clink their glasses together. kyungsoo downs his shot quickly, feeling the slow burn at the back of his throat.

“and let’s also give a shout out for baekhyun fighting with the producers for our ost too! a collaboration with chanyeol and i, how great is that?”

“it’s a promise that i made to you and i want to uphold it.” baekhyun answers with a confident nod.

jongdae leans over and swings an arm around his best friend. “this is why you’re my favorite and i love you.”

kyungsoo never thought that this webtoon they worked together on would reach that positive a response to actually get a drama deal. he remembers those years ago when he first met baekhyun about this dream in passing.

the steps they took towards making this happen worked itself out the moment baekhyun pitched kyungsoo a story fit for his drawings. kyungsoo researched himself on how panelling worked to see if it was possible, and giving it a test run by drawing a short scene out of baekhyun’s notes.

their webtoon has been updating often enough to gather a bigger following on its own. it’s a hard battle sometimes when there are already so many stories out in the market. after the announcement spread about baekhyun’s involvement in the story, his fans were supportive enough to leave comments for him and their liking for his change in media.

the celebration is like any other, an excuse to drink and sing together but especially to get kyungsoo out of the house. the four of them together is a match made in kyungsoo’s hell on bad days. chanyeol, baekhyun, and jongdae speak to kyungsoo with a mellow and grounded tone when they’re alone. he appreciates them for doing that. they’re all loud on their own, he’s seen that too, but the moment that the three are in the same room, he knows that he might be needing earplugs.

kyungsoo wouldn’t trade it for the world though when one day will be different from the next. jongdae cheers in high oranges, baekhyun jokes in magenta. chanyeol argues with a tweedy brown that make them all laugh in rainbows.

those nights inspire a picture of abstract shapes and flowy lines, dipping into his color palette to paint everything to remember it by. he sees these paintings and hangs them on his wall, ever growing when his friends are so energetic. it _shows_ , and kyungsoo can see it. and he smiles just knowing how colorful his life has become.

**Author's Note:**

> "Synesthesia is a neurological condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway (for example, hearing) leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway (such as vision). Simply put, when one sense is activated, another unrelated sense is activated at the same time. This may, for instance, take the form of hearing music and simultaneously sensing the sound as swirls or patterns of color. " - Psychology Today
> 
> kyungsoo has what would be labeled as voice-induced synesthesia. i took a little bit of a liberty on how it worked, so i don't claim the accuracy of the condition.


End file.
